


By Your Side

by wicked3659



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s04e17 Absolute Power, Friendship/Love, Guilt, Pre-Relationship, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29143371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wicked3659/pseuds/wicked3659
Summary: Following the events of Harsesis' revelation to Daniel, Jack worries and Daniel realises something important.
Relationships: Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 9
Kudos: 12
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monicawoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monicawoe/gifts).



> Thank you to kitkat for the beta 😊

"Hey." 

Daniel glanced over at the door momentarily before looking back down at the book in his hands. "Hey." 

Jack hesitated, fingers tapping restlessly on the door frame. "What you doin’?" he asked casually, stepping inside and thrusting his hands into his pockets. 

"Just reading up on the texts about Harsesis. You know, trying to make sense of everything."

Nodding, Jack came closer and peered at the book. It all looked like gobbledegook to him but that's why they had Daniel. "How's that working out for you?" 

Daniel let out a heavy sigh and closed the book with a snap, dropping it on his desk. Removing his glasses he rubbed at his eyes. "It all felt so real. Those months, I lived them, I was there, I remember them and yet they never happened."

"From what you've told us, I would say that's a good thing. Right?" 

Biting his lip, Daniel smirked humourlessly. "Right." 

Fiddling with some pens on Daniel's desk, Jack fumbled with them as the pen holder toppled to the floor. Bending down to pick them up, he stole a glance at Daniel. The man was staring off into space, didn't even seem aware of him. "You okay? Because you seem like you're a million miles away." 

"The things I did, Jack, I became a dictator…” his voice dropped to a whisper. “A murderer." 

Jack blinked incredulously at him and tilted his head slightly. "You? A dictator?" he grinned slightly. "No offence, Daniel, but that should have been your first clue it wasn't real." 

"Jack, it was real to me. Whether a portrayal of what would actually happen should all that knowledge come to me, or a possible future, I don't know. All I know is, it felt real." 

"So what did you do?" Jack asked curiously, perching on the edge of Daniel's desk. 

"I put Sam in jail." 

Jack barked a laugh. "No!" 

Contrite, Daniel's mouth twisted. "Yeah, I considered her the biggest threat to my plans I guess. I got Teal’c killed. Again, not sure if I did that on purpose or not, but Sam sure seemed to blame me."

"Ah, that's a tough one." 

"I wiped Russia off the face of the Earth." Daniel let the statement hang in the air and met Jack's surprised gaze. 

"No way." 

"Yes way. I assumed control of the weapon I’d created; took it away from the government, took complete control of it and destroyed Russia because they were threatening to blow up our satellites in orbit. So I ended the problem." 

"Nothing like a bit of efficiency, huh?" 

"Jack." 

"I know, I know, it felt real. But you know what I know, Daniel?" 

"What's that?" 

"It wasn't you--" 

"--but--" 

Holding up a hand, Jack interrupted, "--Hear me out," 

Closing his mouth, Daniel looked at him expectantly. 

"You're tearing yourself up inside over something that didn't happen, was only one of thousands of possibilities. I know you, Daniel, you're not a tyrant or a warlord. I've seen you under the influence of the Goa'uld, mind control, drugs, and every time, every single time you manage to find yourself. Hurting other people, that's just not who you are. So, I don't care what that kid showed you, it wasn't you. It was just a possibility of what could happen if the  _ wrong _ people got hold of that much power and knowledge." 

“You have that much faith in me?”

Without hesitation, Jack met Daniel’s gaze and answered firmly. “Without a doubt.”

Daniel didn't say anything for a moment and simply stared at Jack in mild astonishment. "That's surprisingly insightful."

Giving him a one shouldered shrug, Jack's mouth twitched up at the corner. "I have my moments."

"Apparently," Daniel huffed a soft laugh and smiled. "It's funny." 

"What is?" 

"In the dream, or whatever it was, you were the only person who still stood by me, still tried to talk to me like I was me. You had to try and kill me in the end to stop me blowing up Russia, but you didn't want to. I could tell. You tried until the last moment to talk me out of it even when you had easier opportunities to get me, to kill me, because a part of me still trusted you to let you get close enough."

"Huh."

"You don't think that's strange?" 

Jack pinned Daniel with a steady gaze. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" 

"The very first time we met, yes," came Daniel’s dry response.

"Alright, I was under orders then. Apart from that?" 

"I guess not. Not enough to stop my subconscious from trusting you."

Jack smiled and picked up a small ornament from Daniel's desk. "Smart subconscious."

Daniel let out a soft sigh and rubbed his face. “It’s frightening to think I have that capability inside of me.”

“Look, Daniel--”

“--I know what you said, Jack. But let’s be honest here, none of us know what we would do if we had access to that kind of knowledge. I guess that was the message Harsesis was trying to share with me. Just took me becoming a genocidal maniac and wiping out Russia to realise it,” his mouth twisted. “Actually, it took you trying to kill me. I knew then.”

“Knew what?”

“That I’d gone too far. That I wanted to undo everything. That’s when I woke up.”

“I see,” Jack pursed his lips thoughtfully. 

Daniel looked up, his blue eyes shimmering in the lamplight of his office. “Do you?”

Licking his lip, Jack drummed two fingers on the smooth wood of Daniel’s desk, avoiding his gaze for the moment. “You know, Daniel, we’ve worked together a long time. For me, that means that some things, certain things,” he looked up and took a deep breath, “go without saying.”

Daniel’s mouth opened and closed again and his brow creased slightly. Ducking his head, a small grateful smile tugged at his mouth and he nodded. “Yeah, they do.” 

The base alarm rang out and Sam’s voice echoed through the base speakers. “Unscheduled off-world activation.” 

“Duty calls.” Daniel stood and rounded his desk, pausing when Jack put a hand on his arm. 

“I have your back, Daniel, you hear me? I always will, no matter what. That much of what the Harsesis showed was real.” 

Swallowing, Daniel nodded and met Jack’s concerned gaze. “I know. I think I’ve always known.” 

“Good.” Jack grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “You good?” 

“I am,” at Jack’s knowing glare, Daniel huffed a short laugh. “I will be, thanks Jack.”

“Anytime, I mean that.” Jack paused for a second, his eyes studying Daniel’s intense blue ones. Satisfied, he gave the man’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Come on, duty won’t fulfil itself.”


End file.
